Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

W. L. SHEPARD. "FEED WATER HEATER- N0.5'7s,111. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

lllll I: IHIIH NITED STATES PATENT rricn,

'WILBUR L. SHEPARD, OF ELMIVOOD, CONNECTICUT.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,1 11, dated December 15, 1896. Application filed July 2 1895. Serial No. 554,705. (No model.)

boiler.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, convenient, and eflicient apparatus which can be easily connectedwith the piping of any boiler and engine plant, so that the water for the boiler will be heated to a high temperature and purified before enterin g the boiler without absorbing an excessive amount of heat from the boiler or necessitat ing the consumption of an extra quantity of fuel in order to maintain the boilcr-pressure at the desired degree.

To this end the invention resides in details of the construction of an apparatus arranged to more efficiently utilize the waste exhauststeam from the engine of the plant for raising the feed-waterfrom normal atmospheric temperature to about 212, and then utilize live steam from the boiler for raising the water already heated by the exhaust-steam to a much higher temperature, so that the impurities will be precipitated and the water will enter the *boiler at practically the temperature of the water in the boiler Without causing an excessive loss of heat from the live steam employed to raise the water to this higher temperature or reducing the temperature of the boiler-water, as more particularly hereinafter pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a feed-water heater embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a central sectional View of the shell of this heater.

The shell 1 of the heater shown in the views is made cylindrical, of suitable sheet metal, with a conical cap 2 at the upper end and a conical bottom 3 at the lower end. Through the top of the cap 2 there is usually an openin g connecting with a Valve that opens to a safety blow-off 4t and a scum blow-off 5, while through the bottom 3', to which the legs are connected, there is an opening to a properlycocked mud blow-off 6.

An opening is made through the shell near the bottom for the entrance of the water-feed inlet 7, or the pipethat'conducts the water to be heated from the'source of supply to the heater, and near the top'of the shell anopen- 6o ing is made for the water-feed outlet 8, or the pipe that conducts the hot water from the heater to the boiler.

In the lower part of the shell is located a coil of pipe 9. The upper end of this coil 9 projects through the shell and is adapted to be connected with a pipe 10 from the engine or other source of exhaust-steam, and the lower end, which projects through the shell near the bottom, is adapted to be connected with a drip or escape pipe 11, so that the waste or exhaust steam will, when the cooks are properly set, fiowfthrough this coil in order that it may be utilized to raise the water in the lower part of the shell from its normal temperature to about 212. In the upper part of the shell is located a coil of pipe 12, of smaller diameter. The upper end of this coil 12 projects through the shell near the top and is adapted to be connected with a pipe 13, leading from the steam-dome of the boiler into which the heated water is to be fed, and the lower end ofthis coil, which projects through the shell above the coil 9, is adapted to be connected with a pipe 14, that 8 5 preferably leads to the boiler near or below the water-line.

A heater constructed according to this invention can be readily connected with the exhaust-steam pipes of an engine and with live- 0 steam pipes from the boiler in such manner that the exhaust or waste steam, the temperature of which it is not necessary to maintain, can be first utilized to raise the water from normal atmospheric temperature to about 5 212, and then the live steam is utilized to raise the water to a still higher temperature. By means of this arrangement the water in its cold condition is raised to its first heat by the exhaust-steam, which is waste and can be I00 utilized for this without any additional expenditure of fuel or draft on the boiler. Water heated by exhaust-steam only of course does not deposit or precipitate its mineral impurities and does not become heated enough to enter the boiler Without lowering the temperature of the boiler-water, and thus necessitating the use of additional fuel to maintain the boiler-pressure. Vater heated by the exhaust-steam from normal to 212 rises in the shell and then is in condition to, be further heated by the live steam Without requiring the live steam to part With the heat necessary to raise it from normal temperature to 212. This enables the live steam to maintain its own temperature at a higher degree Without loss or exhaustion of heat, which of course enables the live steam to. heat the feed: Water to a higher degree Without drawing an excessive amount of heat from the boiler. This; else n ur e l/eh a hea a the feed: water will passinto the boileratabout the emp rature of the, boi e -wate so. not to pelldewri th ha t r-p ss re o, any, xt nt. The. locati n of he. i i hi h hea er s. such .(l' frem the ,r. u ,r s eam 'eil-eeh e. r adily ed e t e, wh n: ee be m v a be ng at he en he heat r ar be een ee edw th pipe t a will provide a, naturalffliow.

I hree e the here th s nventi n h em nstr ted; fl er eeing n. enef hemed-wat ecn be accomplished w th a smaller amount of entl ev e m, le lf, the. h ttem. eere e e waternl t pip I the; hette n and a W on e the eheh ear h ten eylihcir e e tpire f nedi meter ocated i h n, and low the. middle of the shellwith its lower endextending out of the shell near the bottom end: its upper ehdz xtending out f e Shell ,helew hejmi dle nd. a yh-n rieel ei of igh r heat ng en fuel, therefore at less cost, than with the prior exhaust-steam heaters or prior live -steam heaters.

The shape of the shell provides a construction that is simple and cheap to manufacture and put together, that is strong, durable, and efficient, and one that can be very readily kept clean and the arrangement, shape, and location of the coils of pipes, which are simply formed, heats the Water to a high degree and does not materially interfere with the circul ation.

I claim as my invention- A feedewatenheater Consisting of a cylindrical shell with conical ends, supported vertically by legsprojectin-gfrom one of the conieal, ends and elepeni e hroug the fi ea heen v lvea th p ef the h neehe eeetrelhne b th a. a ty ewf a} valve at the apex of tro in a mud blow-off,

' g, into the shell near ontlet pipe passing pipeom h ma e di m ter ee t th-in bev th middle h hellth s p- :per nd ex end ng, ut; o he Shell rv t ti r end e ewer lli xtehd nee t'efi theshell 'ebev th wieldubs n al y a n ei W LBU L SHEPARD- Witnesses he- V- BR- e iLEr, H. R. WILLIAMS. 

